Police are trying to determine a motive for an attack in which a man sitting in his SUV was set on fire outside a 7-Eleven store in Long Beach. Raymond Sean Clark, 38, is accused of dousing the 62-year-old victim with a flammable substance while he was parked in front of the store at about 5 p.m. Friday, said Long Beach police Sgt. Aaron Eaton. There were reports that there had been an argument between Clark, who has been described as homeless, and the victim just before the attack, but Eaton said that had not been confirmed.

video platform video management video solutions video player It's only May 1, but a Florida couple arrested this week are sure to make any "worst-grandparents of the year" list if law enforcement claims are true. A Sarasota County sheriff's deputy arrested the pair on suspicion of using dog leashes to hitch their 6-year-old granddaughter's toy car to their SUV, dragging it (and their granddaughter) up and down the street for a day of fun in the sun. Did we mention that authorities say both grandparents had been drinking?

Mazda says its new CX-5 is the first of its vehicles to embody kodo , with a jinba ittai sensibility that incorporates karakuri . What does that mean? The next-generation compact SUV unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show on Wednesday is blazing a new trail for the Japanese auto maker with a fuel-efficient and stylish all-wheel-drive man wagon. Tweaking the infamous Mazda tagline, the CX-5 isn't just zoom-zoom. It's sustainable zoom-zoom -- more efficient, more fun and more environmentally friendly, the company says.

Seven members of a single family, including grandparents visiting from Dominican Republic and their 3-year-old granddaughter, were killed when the SUV in which they were riding skidded across three lanes of traffic and plunged off a highway nearly 60 feet into Bronx Zoo property. Sunday's fatal crash was the second time in a year that a vehicle has tumbled over the Bronx River Parkway guardrails, which are about 4 feet high. The Bronx borough president, Ruben Diaz Jr., planned to meet with transit officials Monday, and said he would raise the issue of the height of the parkway's guardrails, at least in some sections.

February 22, 2013 | By John M. Glionna, This post has been updated. See the note below for details.

LAS VEGAS -- The Strip's most notable intersection was back in business as police continued their manhunt for a black Range Rover whose occupants opened fire on a Maserati early Thursday, causing a fiery crash that left three people dead, including an aspiring rapper. Authorities on Friday were conducting a four-state search for the occupants of the luxury SUV, who police said opened fire on the Maserati about 4:20 a.m. Thursday following a verbal altercation at a valet stand outside the Aria resort and hotel.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday that it had resumed sales of its Lexus GX 460 SUV, having suspended them to fix a glitch in the vehicle's stability-control system. The automaker also said it had begun contacting U.S. owners of the 2010 GX to arrange to update the software that controls the system in their vehicles. The problem does not affect earlier models. Earlier this month, Toyota had said it would recall 9,400 Lexus GX 460 SUVs from the 2010 model year to correct a problem that could lead to a loss of control.

Las Vegas authorities have identified a man with an extensive criminal history as the lead suspect responsible for the wild gunfire and fiery crash that left three people dead and shut down part of the famed Strip. Police were searching for Ammar Harris, 26, also known as Ammar Asim Faruq Harris. Meanwhile, the families of the three victims found themselves bonded by the tragedy, a collision of gun, glitz and death at one of the most famous intersections in the world. PHOTOS: Shots fired on Vegas strip One victim was a two-time breast-cancer survivor and businesswoman on her way to the airport.

NEW YORK - Motorcyclists familiar with the annual pack ride known as Hollywood's Block Party were excited about this year's bash, and for good reason. The 2011 ride through New York City was "a zoo," according to an online post that included a photograph of hundreds of bikers roaring up an expressway, the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance. The 2012 ride, which involved a takeover of Times Square that was captured on video, was equally raucous. "Last year was crazy.

A sport utility vehicle hit a man on an interstate highway and dragged his body -- apparently lodged in the suspension -- 8 1/2 miles to the driver's home, police said. Josuel Galdino, 25, of Lorton, was charged with manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and felony hit-and-run after calling police to report that a man's body was caught in the front-end suspension of his SUV.

It was disheartening to read that record numbers of mid-size car owners are making the move to SUVs ["Mid-Size Cars Feel the Sting of SUV Popularity," April 25]. As a sedan driver in Los Angeles, I've grown tired of the crowded parking lots, the blinding headlights at night and the fear of annihilation in a collision. All this for a vehicle that appears rarely to be used for either ostensible purpose of sport or utility. Meanwhile, the gas guzzlers are worsening air pollution, helping drive up gas prices and increasing our already dangerous dependence on international sources of oil. At a time when auto manufacturers are battling legal mandates to produce more zero-emissions vehicles, while cranking up production of highly profitable SUVs, a little social responsibility by citizens and corporations alike seems to be sorely needed.